Food and stress: Balance required

Called "second brain" of science, the belly is the guarantor of our physio-psycho-emotional balance. If it is well proven that stress exacerbates digestive diseases, it remains to consider the converse is true: our gut influences our emotions. And yes, stress management also goes through the stomach!

Little attention in stress prevention consultation, the link between emotional disorder and food is not done spontaneously; to listen to his intestines and hang care seems less obvious. Therefore, as Sophrologue, I sometimes towards a naturopath specialized in nutrition when necessary: ​​to have good management of stress and emotions, it is also to provide an opportunity live healthier diet!

To understand…

 
Stress generates a modification of the intestinal microbiota (bacterial flora) resulting in both physiological and psychological dysfunctions; also reconsider their diet in times of stress helps support this ecosystem. Conversely, a chronic impairment of digestion cause the symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression: full circle!

Healthy intestinal system = Increased resistance to stress

 
Our stress resilience depends on the balance of our various systems (neurological, endocrine, etc.); these draw their resources in our diet, and placing it at the heart of our health. Since the discovery of the "gut-brain axis" - gut and brain communicate with the vagus nerve - we know that the proper functioning of our emotional structures resulting from the integrity of the enteric nervous system, or "second brain" - in other words, our dear guts! Due respect to the lobbies of junk food, it's a reality that we will have to cope if one aspires to wellness.

Studies like you in here in

 
Should we treat mental illness by the belly? This is the question that arises a new discipline: neuro-gastroenterology. For Dr. Natasha Campbell, neurologist and nutritionist, the intestine is the central organ of our body; it demonstrated that a gluten-free diet favors the reduction of disorders of depression, schizophrenia, and many psychiatric diseases. According Tasnine Akbaraly, researcher at INSERM, refined and processed industrial products increase the risk of depression by 58%. Let us remember that serotonin - a neurotransmitter that participates in the management of our emotions - is produced by 95% ... our gut! Beyond the multitude of bacteria it harbors, it contains not less than two hundred million neurons.

Diet "adapted", optimized stress management!

 
Every individual has different needs in connection with a separate intestinal flora whose quality depends on several parameters (mode of delivery, breast feeding, genetics, etc.). In response, Dr. Patrick Holford - Nutritionist and founder of the Institute of Nutritherapy London - calls out the "myth" of the diet "balanced" to adopt a diet "adapted" to its metabolic profile; in order to increase our resistance to disease and stress: 80% of our immune system is in the gut wall!

Magali Pettier Wagnières, naturopath - specializing in nutrition - Lyon:
"It is not enough to ingest the" good "foods in a meal as" balanced "may be, must still have a digestive system that can digest: acid reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc. show a poor assimilation of food and thus to question. Depression, chronic stress, allergies and other intolerances are often a sign of a degraded flora; natural solutions to sustain and restore exist. Rest assured, however, the body will adapt long as it has intrinsically the faculty, and therein lies the problem: the effects of a poor diet are not immediate. "

And the fun in that?

The pleasure that is educated, it is created, it is decided! Once unaccustomed refined sugar and other troublemakers, cheeks and palate are refined; tastes evolve. Change their diet allows you to discover new flavors hitherto ignored. The most important is its ability to activate curiosity and make sense of these changes. Expand its fields of consciousness, self-empowerment deal with health, awaken the senses (smell, taste), eating and digesting "mindfulness," is a good basis for stress management work.

10 Tips for choosing a suitable YOGA

Yoga, a gentle practice that often interested pregnant women in search of a sport suited to their situation. However, one does not choose its course lightly! Some tips to choose well.

I. Preferably choose a yoga teacher graduate, trained in a school meets the European minimum program, and specializes in working with pregnant women.

II. Choose a course reserved for pregnant women, where you will receive small group individualized instruction tailored to your pace and needs.
III. Your first course should contain only simple exercises and relaxation to give your teacher the time to know you and to provide teaching based on you.

IV. In early pregnancy, your first month of practice should allow you to gain confidence in you, you settle smoothly into your maternity, without targeting technically on childbirth itself.

V. You will not make conventional abdominal and extensively. This is relatively useless and often can cause long-term, premature contractions, sciatica or sciatica, lower back pain or headaches, according to your constitution. The increased hormone imbibing, from the eighth month of pregnancy, you will facilitate musculoskeletal intense efforts, especially those aimed at the opening of the basin.

VI. You must come out of your relaxed and délassée course, no extra contractions, and this, from the first course.

VII. Your teacher must exercise psychology and delicacy, respect your own pace, while

VIII. You can expect a yoga teacher that he answer your questions without making value judgments.

IX. Unless complications that belongs to your obstetrician or midwife to determine, you can track your yoga class from beginning to end of your pregnancy, especially as your consistency will guarantee greater efficiency. The pace is usually recommended minimum of one class per week, and two courses in the month before the birth. In these courses, it is desirable to benefit from an approach to the father of the child to be prepared too, to help you his best during childbirth.

X. In any case the practice of yoga is not a substitute for medical monitoring or exempt you meet with your midwife and your obstetrician during your pregnancy.

Discreet charm of bowel

Shocking? And yet, we are what we eat. And sometimes twice a day: we eat both for us and feed to feed the bacteria that nice fit in the nooks and crannies of our colon.

Uh ... bacteria?

And yes, our wonderful colon is the organ of our body more hospitable. Moreover, it is the "great" of our bodies. Imagine the intestinal wall unfolded: an area of ​​around 7 km, dotted with folds and villi, as a very hilly landscape. A paradise for bacteria, microscopic organisms that come here to stay and continue their descent.

Ah okay ... But you added "nice" anyway? (Rest assured me).

 
Our colon is like a territory. There is a population bacteria. And there are good and evil. And it is always a little war between them to see who are the most numerous and strongest.

I prefer the nice, bacteria. But what use to feed them? (Should not push either).

It is precisely by feeding them that allows them to flourish, to settle and to support their children happy. And they flourish, they leave less room for nasty bacteria.

And specifically, it brings me how to take care of them?

More and more recent studies examine the role of bacteria on our health. Some are really great ugly: salmonella, helicobacter, toxoplasma, pinworms ... so many parasites that it is not recommended to invite under our roof. They are the cause of many diseases, allergies and degeneration. Others play a protective role. The research are just beginning on the action and the role of these organizations. We all know some under the name of "probiotics", but again a tiny minority has been explored to date. What we do know is that they can positively affect our physical, mental and emotional health. The challenge therefore is more protective identify and find solutions to accommodate at best.

It's super exciting stuff. So I can do what?

Read the book of Giulia Enders "The Discreet Charm of the gut!" This German PhD student 25 years ago is a passionate stories of the intestine. And it comes beautifully to make it sexy, exciting and "moreish" in these pages. If you want to know about our second brain (I mean our colon there) and its microbiota, if you want to have nutritional advice and lifestyle to do him good, then this book is for you. It is surprisingly affordable, very funny, with drawings made by her sister.

Memories of birth, the imprint basic

Birth trauma that leaves traces in the psyche of the little being who is born?

Psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner, Sylvie Prager-Séchaud psychotraumatology is passionate and emotional therapy. His approach is rooted in the body, here and now.

During his meetings with patients beset by fears, phobias and physical pain unexplained, it is concluded that all these symptoms are reminiscent of our first journey on earth, birth.
Birth, this prerequisite, is experienced by this sensitive what the fetus as a real trauma, severe stress. What can he say when he is about to leave? "It's dark, I'm afraid," "will I get out? "" I hurt, "" I'm going to die, "" I can not do "," no one is there to help me, "" nobody loves me ". So many negative thoughts, forgotten but internalized, which will resurface in the future life of the little man, when external circumstances in will echo.

Through the story of several patients who have relived their birth, this book allows us to highlight the origins of our blocks, our fears and our limiting thoughts. As long as we agree to (re) through our birth, accompanied by a therapist, we are more equipped to deal with the passages and sometimes disruptive life changes. We also understand that these traumatic episodes, as painful and repetitive as they are, should not be subject to guilt or judgment. They are the result of an intense original stress, and should be treated as such.

This book is also a valuable tool for parents to accompany their baby in his birth, and provide the means to welcome with love and joy.

An educational and entertaining book, fully referenced and enjoyable to read. Recommended for expectant parents and those who are curious and willing to return to their origins to free himself.

Noise Pollution: Impact of life longevity

The noise that shortens life, insecticides and air pollution that increase the risk of leukemia in children and the opening of the Rugby World Cup, that's what we should not miss this week in 'environmental health news.

Silence, we want to live long!

If he has the gift to annoy or upset, the noise would also have impacts on our health. Regional Health Observatory (ORS) and Bruitparif come to the show in the 12 million inhabitants of Ile de France. Each of them would lose more than 7 months of life expectancy, just because of the noise! Worse, those who live next to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport would lose up to 18 months of life in good health. This is explained by the fact that noise can cause stress, sleep disorders, but also the onset of cardiovascular disease. The guilty ? The road, rail and air.

Leukemia: air pollution and insecticides, the culprits of the week
This week, the link between leukemia and the environment was further strengthened a little. First with the air pollution. Inserm researchers have shown that the frequency of new cases of myeloid type of leukemia is higher than 30% among children living within 150 m from main roads and when the total length of road sections in this radius is greater than 260 m.

Then with insecticides. By compiling data from 16 studies, US researchers have found that children's exposure to indoor insecticide (lice or mosquito) increases the risk of leukemia and lymphoma 47% to 43%. So a tip: use mosquito organic and natural alternatives to anti-lice.

More: Risk of leukemia in children
More: insecticides at home, poison for children

Rugby, and if we did a test?

Last Friday opened the Rugby World Cup! Two thirds of the French are going to follow ... from their sofa! That's good, but exercise a sport is better! To tempt their patients to put it (the sport, not necessarily rugby), Rugby doctors at the Environmental Health Association France took advantage of this opportunity to release a Special Edition of the World Cup of their "short guide health Sportif ". Because one does anything you learn: the sport is good for health! It de-stresses, helps to keep the line and protects against many diseases. In this guide you will find all the reasons to get started, and warnings against the products they sell us to boost our performance.

Education Exercises and Rehabilitation

Too often forgotten, perineum is indispensable to our daily comfort. Tips rehabilitate, through various rehabilitation techniques (or education) perineal to ensure proper maintenance.

Today, nearly one in two women is not aware of her perineum and has trouble locating it. As for women to contract properly ...

The techniques described below will enable women to become aware and to reclaim their bodies, limit or prevent urinary leakage, and increase sexual pleasure and that of their partners by promoting the pelvic muscle tone.

Kegel exercises

Most known even if you do you're never interested in your perineum. The proof even Samantha Jones tells us about the series Sex And The City!
How to do ? It shows a band stretching from your urinary opening to your anus and a point in the middle. Then trying to "raise" the point in her pelvis, as if an invisible cord connected this to your navel. We held this position for 10 seconds, 10 times in a row.

Advantages ? In addition to free, there are many opportunities to implement them in a day: when seeking LA pair of shoes on the internet, watching a movie, incognito mode for a grim meeting or during the subway ride ...

For pregnant women, practice these exercises regularly from your 4th month soften your perineum and limit the risks of an episiotomy, more profits on controlling your urinary sphincter and resume your sex life.

The geisha balls, cones ...

Geisha balls, or smartballs, are more than sex toys: they allow muscles vaginal wall and perineum. Geisha balls can be used in addition to postpartum perineal but only after the perineum has regained some tone, otherwise they may not stay retained in the vagina, because of their relatively large weight. There are different possible diameters and weight: the choice of the diameter depends on the size of your vagina. As for weight, the more it will be heavy and will require good perineal tone. Young women who have never had children choose small diameter smartballs (less than 3 cm).

The insertion of Geisha balls can be facilitated by the use of a lubricant, not to allow the cord to the outside of the vagina. We try to bring the Geisha balls up to 30 minutes a day if it's running Kegel exercises, and several hours if one simply makes everyday tasks.

The use of cones is very effective in the perineal: few minutes a day will help you quickly regain energy in a few weeks, and limit stress incontinence. Vaginal cones are usually delivered by pack including different sizes and weights. After inserting a cone in your vagina, you practice a series of exercises in observing the rod protruding to control the contractions or not working the right muscles. We start with the widest and lightest cone (for the most dilated vaginas), to use the most narrow cone and heaviest (for vaginas "tonic").

Manual re-education and re-education through vaginal probe

They practice with midwives or physiotherapists from two months postpartum. On prescription, these sessions (about ten) are recoverable by your social security fund.

Manual therapy: we practice a vaginal who will guide the patient so that she understands how muscle work and contracting. The maieuticians trained in the technique of CMP® (Knowledge and Control of the perineum) offer women images. Visualization and helps the young mother to be aware of each area of ​​the perineum.

Reeducation through vaginal probe: there are two types. Rehabilitation Biofeedback involves introducing a probe into the vagina of the patient and ask him to gradually contract her perineum. The tonicity of the vagina is evaluated in real time by a monitor. Rehabilitation by electro-stimulation also requires the insertion of a vaginal probe. Then, the therapist setting the machine on the duration and intensity of the contraction by stimulation of the muscles. Basically, you see the weight by electrical patches presented in TV buying. This is the same principle in your vagina.

Looking back at several women, these two practices manual therapy is the most acclaimed, is considered more efficient and regretting the "passivity" of the electro stimulating probe method.

For people with fecal incontinence, know that rehabilitation through biofeedback can you be proposed by a physiotherapist.

You can buy Biofeedback or electrostimulation to practice at home. On some sites, it is even possible to get a care sheet for a partial refund from your health insurance fund.
But I do not recommend stimulators connected to your smartphone: we now know the dangers of pulsed electromagnetic fields, it even creates underpants "anti-waves" to protect sperm. So an "antenna" is avoided to place near her ovaries ...

Gynecological laser

There is now a novelty in the field of pelvic floor rehabilitation: medical laser. This treatment is indicated in patients with moderate urinary incontinence. The YAG laser tip is coated with a kind of speculum. By inserting it in the vagina, the probe will cause stimulation photothermal the production of collagen and tightening the tissue of the vaginal mucosa, guaranteeing a better support of the bladder and a return to normal of the urinary continence.
This technique is noninvasive and painless, that is to say that by not practicing incision, no bleeding or sutures or need for antibiotics or painkillers .

We recommend two sessions before an update as this can sometimes suffice. There are no special precautions to respect, as may be the case for surgery. As long as your doctor working at the time on your lunch break, you can even resume after your activities.

In addition, lasers may now be provided in case of vaginal atrophy or shrinkage of the vaginal duct as an alternative to vaginoplastie.

Warning: it insists that the laser is an instrument solely dedicated to healthcare professionals. Only a medical doctor can practice this kind of intervention.

Vaginoplasty

I will mention this surgical technique only for those who would ask questions on seeing this term online. Vaginoplasty is not a method of pelvic floor rehabilitation. The technique of tightening only aims to narrow the diameter of the vagina leads to aesthetic or sensory purposes (vaginal patency suffering patient can no longer feel the sex of her partner). However, this will not affect the perineal tone, maintaining pelvic floor, urinary or anal incontinence ...

Prevention is better than cure, so start practicing your perineum as soon as possible, even as a teenager. But do not go to the opposite extreme, the risk of causing a depletion of the perineal muscles, or even hypertonia.

Optimize Sleep The Whole Family

We are all one time or another faced with problems of sleep, either difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings or insomnia. These disorders can occur at every age, take different forms, and subsequently cause various disturbances in the waking life.

However, since the possibility of disease is ruled out, it is entirely possible to remedy it by a simple adjustment of lifestyle.

Sleep occupies a third of our lives. At 60, we have stayed 20 years ...

 

 

The importance of sleep is proven. Its quality is essential to homeostasis, that is to say to our physical and psycho-emotional balance. Depression can sometimes be due to a lack of sleep, and disappear by regulating it.

In children, a good sleep is essential. In the first year of life, it allows among others the consolidation of memories. The learning and memory mechanisms are quickly disturbed in the small: a bad night enough to negatively influence the process the next day.

Each individual is different, whether by age, heredity, origins, life habits, where they live etc ... The time required for a good recovery will therefore also be different for everyone. However, we know that sleep consists of different cycles, lasting 1:30. Some people will be fit and have sufficiently recovered with 3 hours of sleep, others will need 12 ... should listen to his own needs and respect.

But when sleep disorders, especially sleep onset, appear, observing cycles may be useful. If you feel the first signs of fatigue in 22h is an undergraduate beginning. If you do not listen to your needs by going to bed at that time you have to wait again 1:30, that is to say 23:30, before another cycle begins again ... Watch out, then, and gradually try you go to bed 20 minutes before the start of a new cycle for the train from leaving ...

A hormone helps regulate our chronobiological rhythms and our sleep: melatonin. This is driven in particular by total darkness. For a deep and restful sleep, so you sleep without any light, whether a nightlight, alarm clock or a supported phone. The little afraid of the dark, can sleep with a night light, but it would be wise to turn off then, and to wean them gradually.

These chronobiological rhythms can be disrupted by the seasons, especially when the days get shorter. Then it is even more important to go out and be exposed to the light of day at least 20 minutes daily. Similarly, regular physical activity helps regulate our cycles by balancing activity and body rest.

Melatonin is also found in some foods: tomatoes, nuts, grains (rice, barley), strawberry, olive oil ...

This hormone is synthesized from serotonin, which is itself derived from tryptophan (an essential amino acid). We find it in certain foods: banana, cashews, fish, poultry, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, yeast, eggs, dates, lettuce, walnuts ...

But tryptophan must be associated with vitamin B6 and magnesium to be well assimilated: fish, seafood, almonds, walnuts, dark chocolate (to avoid the evening as energizing).

Concerning food, you understand the importance of varied to obtain all the nutrients our bodies need to function properly. But in the case of sleep, some are particularly useful because they affect the balance of our nervous system. Besides those we have mentioned above, these are the essential fatty acids (fatty fish, canola oil, flaxseed, walnuts, camel ...) that allow the maintenance of nerve cell membranes, and natural sugars (in index low glycemic, not refined so fast), it will take priority. These cells consume glucose in 30% of more than the other cells of the body. Carbs glycemic index low to allow slightly up insulin levels, and without insulin, serotonin can not be synthesized.

If certain foods are preferred, others are to be avoided at night: red meat in particular because it contains tyrosine (an amino acid that limit the intake of tryptophan and acts as a stimulant). Animal proteins increase alertness.
Similarly, a rise in body temperature and slower digestion, disturb sleep. It is best to avoid the evening: spicy dishes, rich in saturated fatty acids or trans (cheese, meats, pastries, sauces, fries ...) and dinner 2 hours before bedtime.

Because they increase body temperature, baths or hot showers, and physical activity may delay sleep. So be sure not to over stir a child just before bedtime.

Obviously stimulants do not work for a restful sleep: coffee and tea (not after 17h), alcohol (over a glass of wine, alcohol increases the number of micro-awakenings). Caffeine in turn, boosts the production of dopamine and norepinephrine that make us more dynamic.

When nighttime awakenings between 1am and 3am become recurring, small hepatic weakness might be involved. A bulb of black radish in bed for twenty days may help.

Blue light mobile phones, tablets and computers keeps us awake. It is therefore recommended to cease all activity on screen 1 hour before bedtime, and engage instead in a relaxing activity such as reading or music. All waves, wifi, disrupt our sleep. Remember to put your phone in airplane mode and avoid the wifi in the room. This is particularly harmful to the development of children and teenagers ...

The ideal room temperature should be around 19 ° C. Air your bedroom and those of your children the day to renew the ambient air and ensure proper humidity level.

If you still get problems falling asleep, make sure the quality of your bedding, and check perhaps the positioning of your bed It is a priori rather sleep head north.